This is a guest blog post from Laura, our newest career counselor on staff. Her primary focus is on transitions counseling, specifically helping students adjust to moving into their next step after graduation. She has all the professionalism advice you need whether you're moving onto a health professions program or the professional world. For more information on professional dress, feel free to ask her or one of the Health Professions Advisors.
It’s almost Spring Break, and you may be thinking about something fun (and productive) to do if you're going home for the week. You’ve repeatedly heard about the importance of wearing a business suit to your mock interview and your health professions school interview during advising sessions. You want to be taken seriously by admissions committees, so you take the plunge over spring break and purchase a suit, or you start seriously shopping for one. One way to transform a suit from “something I have to wear or else” into “something I’m Ok with wearing when necessary and makes me feel confident” is to pay attention to tailoring. By paying attention to a few details, you display a sharp attention to detail and show you respect the process. After all, a suit that fits you well only enhances your individuality.
3 areas to watch for men are:
3 areas to watch for men are:
· Length of sleeves and pants: Aim for the end of your jacket sleeve to rest at your wrist bone, with the edge of your shirt sleeve resting at the crease between your wrist and hand. Pants should end about an inch off the ground based on the shoes you plan to wear with the suit, and you should bring those shoes with you to have the suit tailored.
· How the jacket fits: pay attention to your mobility in the jacket. You should be able to move your arms freely above, in front, and behind you without straining the jacket. When standing with your arms at your sides, the jacket should appear fitted, but not tight to your torso. The edge of the jacket’s shoulder should line up with the edge of your shoulder. The jacket buttons shouldn’t look like they’re pulling away from each other.
· Choosing the right shirt: button down Oxford shirts are not appropriate for suits-they’re seen as too casual. Invest in a quality dress shirt in a slimmer fit to prevent bunching up under your jacket, and look for a spread collar that will accommodate a variety of tie widths.
3 areas to watch for women are:
· Length of sleeves, pants, and skirts: the same advice applies on length of pants and sleeves, if you’re wearing a long sleeved blouse. Choose a skirt that ends in the middle of your kneecap or just below. Don’t leave the fitting room without sitting down in the skirt and crossing your legs to ensure that it doesn’t ride up inappropriately.
· How the jacket fits: certainly pay attention to mobility, but also ensure that you’re not swimming in the jacket. Optimally, a jacket should be fitted throughout, but not snug, highlight your natural waist, and fit in such a way that it doesn’t look like it’s pulling across the chest.
· Color and pattern choice: Stick with a solid color that compliments and enhances your natural skin tone, coloring, and overall image you want to present to an admissions committee.
